The Talk
by Tina101
Summary: Roger and Mimi are asked to talk to a group of students at a local high school. How will this bring them closing to their fate? Threeshot
1. Chapter 1

_The Talk:_

**A/N:** This is a short story (about 3 chapters) that I got the idea for when two HIV positive people came and talked to my health class. I hope you like it!

Tina101

**Chapter 1:**

The small group of people broke away from their small circle of chairs in the center of the room. Mimi slid her small hand into Roger's perfectly. Roger kissed the back of her hand, silently expressing his love to her.

"Roger, Mimi, could I talk to you for a second about something?" Steve asked.

"Sure," Mimi replied. Roger turned to Collins, Angel and Mark.

"We'll catch up with you guys later," he said. The trio left eth community center to catch the next train home.

Steve was waiting to talk to Roger and Mimi off in a corner so their conversation would remain private. Everyone else was busy cleaning up.

"I have a favor to ask you two," Steve started. "I have this friend who's a high school health teacher. She was wondering if I could have someone come down to talk to her class about HIV."

"And you want us to go," Mimi finished. Steve nodded.

"If you don't mind, of course. I was actually hoping that you could talk about drugs and everything else too." Roger broke free of Mimi and jammed his hands deep in his pockets.

"Sure, we'll help," Mimi said. Roger shot her a look. "Just let us know when and where." Steve produced a folded piece of paper and handed it to Mimi.

"Everything you need to know is right here." Mimi stuck the piece of paper in her purse.

"Uh, Steve, wouldn't someone like Angel be better fit for something like this?" Roger asked rather uncomfortably.

"I really feel that you and Mimi would be able to connect better with the students. Sometimes you can tell when someone's right for a job, and I really believe that that's the case here." Roger sighed.

"Don't worry, you can you're friend that we'll be there," Mimi assured despite Roger's obvious reluctance.

"Thanks you guys. Now, I'll let you go, it's getting late." Roger and Mimi said goodbye to Steve, and they left to go home.

By the time Roger and Mimi got to the subway station, Mark, Collins and Angel had caught a train and were gone. Roger leaned against one of the pillars and waited for the next train to arrive. His hands were folded over his chest. Mimi went over to him and swung from his neck.

"Are you okay, babe?" she asked innocently. Roger had been in one of his moods ever since they had left Life Support.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Mimi wasn't convinced. She nuzzled Roger's neck and left a trail down to his chest. Roger abruptly pushed Mimi away. Mimi looked hurt. People were starting to fill up the station for the next train. Mimi grabbed Roger's hand.

"Talk to me, Roger," she pleaded. Roger slid his hand out of Mimi's.

"Not now," he snapped. Mimi shied away from Roger. The couple waited for the train separately and in silence.

On the train, Mimi curled up on her seat and leaned against the wall. Roger slouched down in the seat next to her. The train rocked back and forth, creating a soothing rhythm. Mimi playfully poked Roger's thigh. Roger grunted. Mimi sat up and ran her fingers through his hair.

"I love you," she said before kissing the edge of his mouth. Roger didn't move. It was obvious to Mimi that he was giving her the cold shoulder. She decided to see how far she could go with this. Chewing on her bottom lip, she straddled Roger's lap. "You know, Mr. Davis, this cold shoulder BS won't get you very far." Mimi ground her hips against Roger's to the best of her ability. She began to run her fingers through his long hair. "I was thinking of cutting your hair. You never take care of it, and it's always all over the place." Roger grabbed Mimi's waist and slid her off his lap.

"Stop it, Mimi. I'm really not in the mood to deal with these games." Mimi scowled. She knew why Roger was in this pissy mood.

"I'm sorry about volunteering us to talk to the high school."

"Not now. I just, not now, I don't want to talk about it right now." Mimi crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her seat. She _hated_ when Roger got in one of these horrible mood, but it was just how he was.

When Roger got home, he threw his jacket on the chair near the door. Mimi sat on the bed with one of her legs tucked neatly under her.

"Roger, I'm sorry baby," she said. "I felt like we were doing the right thing. Don't you agree with me?"

"This is our personal lives we're talking about!" Roger yelled. "You just told Steve that we'd tell a class of high schoolers about what we did to get HIV!" Mimi got to her feet.

"It's the same thing we do at Life Support!" she reasoned rather loudly. "It's the _exact same thing_!"

"It's entirely different and you know it!"

"How!?" Mimi demanded. Roger froze. Mimi smirked. "Tell me how this is different than Life Support." Roger brushed past Mimi and began to get undressed for bed. "You can't, can you? You just want to be a selfish bastard!" Roger rounded on Mimi.

"I just don't feel comfortable telling a bunch of teenagers our life story! I would have liked it if we could have at least talked about it a little before you volunteered us."

"I said I'm sorry. I only wanted to help."

"Well, you can help me right now by leaving me the hell alone." With that said Roger climbed into bed and faced the wall. Shocked, Mimi stood in the kitchen area for several seconds. Finally, she grabbed her cigarettes and lighter and went out on the fire escape to giver Roger the space he'd so crudely demanded for.

Leaning against the wall, Mimi lit up a cigarette. She took a long drag from it and closed her eyes. She could feel her blood boiling over from Roger's remarks. He had a point though. There was a small pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach. She should have talked to him about volunteering. Mimi finished her cigarette and tossed it to the street below after checking to make sure that no one would get hit by it.

Mimi changed into one of Roger's band shirts and crawled into bed. It appeared as if Roger was fast asleep facing the wall. Mimi traced the tattoo on his bicep before sliding her hand across his chest. She kissed between his shoulder blades and rolled over so her back was to him. She wanted to give him his space. Little did she know that Roger was awake and had felt her. At the moment though, they both just wanted some space.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Roger sat at the Life with Collins and Mark. They were having a guys' night. As Mimi so nicely put it, it was a chance for the guys to get drunk and be manly. Roger drained his second beer.

"What did Steve want yesterday?" Mark asked.

"He asked me and Mimi to go speak at some high school at the end of the week."

"And you don't want to," Collins stated. Roger nodded.

"Putting it nicely, yes. I mean, Mimi just told Steve that we'd be there. I couldn't believe her! I think that you and Angel would be better suited for something like this." Collins shook his head.

"Oh no, I think that this is a perfect job for you to do. It'll help you to begin to cope with this whole ordeal."

"I'm fine with 'this whole thing'. I've come to terms with this," Roger argued.

"What about April?" Roger pointed a menacing finger at Collins.

"Don't you _dare_ bring her into this. She has _nothing_ to do with this!"

"She has everything to do with this, Roger." Roger leapt to his feet with such force that his chair toppled over. Several people looked up from their meals.

"Whatever, I'm going home. I don't need this bullshit." Roger grabbed his jacket and stalked out of the Life.

Meanwhile, Angel, Mimi, Maureen and Joanne were all gathered at Angel and Collins' apartment having a small get-together. Mimi finished filling in her friends on her and Roger's plans to go visit the high school.

"I want to help out, but at the same time, I feel the same way Roger does," she confessed. Angel patted her knee comfortingly.

"You're doing the right thing, chica," she said.

"I know, but I feel that you and Collins would do a better job talking openly about AIDS and everything."

"Collins and I have accepted the fact that we have AIDS and are doing to die from it. You and Roger haven't really gotten to that point yet."

"We have too!" Mimi exclaimed. She turned to Maureen and Joanne. "Guys, back me up here!" Maureen and Joanne looked at each other. They honestly didn't know what to say. Coping with AIDS was something they wouldn't understand in the same context as their friends.

"Mimi, you already told Steve yes," Angel said. "That means that you had to have wanted to help him out."

"I still do, but I feel a little apprehensive about the whole thing."

"That's fine, but you can't back down now," Joanne said. Maureen nodded in agreement.

"Pookie _always_ makes me go through on my word." Maureen looked at Joanne. "It's actually really annoying." Joanne gave Maureen a look. "I mean, I love you Pookie."

"I guess I love you too." Maureen literally launched herself across the couch and pressed her lips against Joanne's. "Ow, ow, Maureen. Believe it or not, I actually have vital organs in there that I need to remain unsquished." Maureen pecked Joanne on the cheek.

"I'm sorry." Mimi drained her beer bottle. Leave it to her friends to make her feel better.

When Mimi got home a little while later, she found Roger sprawled out on the bed with his left arm draped over his eyes. Mimi slid off her jacket and shoes and sat on the bed by Roger's head. Roger moved his arm.

"Getting a headache?" Mimi asked him.

"No, I'm just tired."

"Come here then." Mimi gently pulled Roger's head into her lap and began to run her fingers through his hair soothingly. Roger let his eyes slip closed and simply enjoyed the relaxing sensation.

"You were joking weren't you?" he murmured.

"Hmm?"  
"About cutting my hair, you were joking, weren't you?" Mimi cracked a smile.

"Yeah, I was. I like your hair long, but I really wish that you'd do something with it."

"Like what?" Mimi shrugged.

"I dunno…_something_." Roger put his hand over Mimi's.

"Give me some ideas, and I'll consider them." Mimi continued to stroke Roger's hair. Roger moaned with pleasure. "Mmm…that feels good." Mimi leaned over and kissed Roger.

"I love you," she said against his lips before pecking him several times. Roger sat up and kissed Mimi roughly. Moaning, Mimi fell back against the bed. Roger straddled her small hips and continued to kiss her. Mimi wrapped her legs around Roger's waist. The reluctance of talking at the high school was gone from both of them.

**A/N:** Next chapter is the last. Also, I'll be out of town until Sunday with probably ZERO computer access, so I'll be updating "The Truth" then.

Tina101


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Mimi slid her hand into Roger's and entwined their fingers. They were on their way to the classroom they were supposed to talk to. The dull roar emitting from the lunch room drifted down from upstairs. Roger opened the door to the classroom. There was a woman with short red hair and glasses sitting at the teacher's desk. She stood up and smiled when she saw Roger and Mimi.

"Hi, I'm Ashley Narod," she said. Roger and Mimi each shook her hand.

"Roger Davis."

"Mimi Marquez."

"Nice to meet you both. Thank you so much for coming down. I was just about to order some lunch from a café down the street; would you guys like something to eat?" Roger and Mimi looked at each other.

"Sure," Mimi replied. Mrs. Narod's kindness was adding a sort of comfort to the situation at hand.

Half an hour later, Roger sat in a chair in front of the blackboard while Mimi sat on the floor leaning against his leg, sipping a soda. A bell rang. Right away, the hallways filled with the sound of laughter and talking. Mimi stood up and leaned against eh wall. She had been unusually quiet since the food had arrived. Roger got up to talk to her. Students began to slowly trickle into the classroom.

"Are you okay, Meems?" Roger asked quietly as he rubbed Mimi's upper arm. Mimi nodded.

"Yeah, just a little nervous," she replied. Out of the blue, Mimi smiled. Roger gave her a confused look. "I just thought of what Maureen would say right now."

"And what's that?"

"The girl who used to strip for a living is nervous about talking to thirty teenagers." Roger kissed Mimi's cheek.

"Don't be." More students had filed into the classroom. Mrs. Narod stood up as the late bell rang. Roger backed away from Mimi.

"Okay you guys, we have two specials guests today," she started. "This is Mimi Marquez and Roger Davis. They're here to talk about live with HIV and drugs. Let's give them our undivided attention." The class all clapped.

"Okay, uh, thanks," Roger said as he and Mimi both sat down. "As you teacher said, Mimi and I are both HIV positive. I got the virus from my old girlfriend, April. I was a rocker trying to work my way up to the top, and April was a fan of mine. Things were going great for us, until we started using heroin. Everything spiraled out of control so fast that I still can't comprehend it. I'll never know how exactly April got infected with HIV; she could have been sleeping around, or it could have been from a tainted needle. All I know is that April gave me HIV. She couldn't handle the stress, and she killed herself in the bathtub." Several students gasped. "Drugs screw you up. I know that you've heard that, but it's a hundred percent true. When you're high, nothing clicks in your head. You could do the stupidest thing in the world, and it won't register. Drugs are nowhere near as hyped up as people say they are." Roger stopped. He was done. The class remained silent.

Mimi chewed on her bottom lip. Now it was her turn. She stopped and collected her thoughts. She finally figured out where she wanted to start out.

"I've been clean for exactly eleven weeks," she said quietly. "This is the biggest quote, 'trip' I've had in nearly sixteen weeks. I've been to a support group, friends' house and back home." Several students snickered. Mrs. Narod shot them stern looks. "Laugh now, but I am _very_ proud of something as small as a trip to a school. Let me tell you about withdrawal. The pain is horrible. What I remember the most is lying in bed, sobbing. Unlike Roger, I started using heroin _after_ I got HIV from a one-night stand. I was only using recreationally, so to speak. Then, my sister died. It turns out she had slept with the guy that gave me HIV. Watching her slowly deteriorate in a hospital room was shattering. That's how you die with AIDS, slowly and painfully. There's no other way to describe it. After my sister died, I started using heroin more and more. Now, I'm clean and trying to get on with my life." Mimi stopped. That had been…soothing.

The class clapped. Mimi put her head in her hands. A sudden, powerful craving for heroin washed over her, nearly overpowering her.

"Any questions?" Roger asked. "Don't be ashamed to ask us anything." A few students raised their hands. "Umm, okay, you first."

"Why did you turn to drugs if you had so much going for you?" Roger took a deep breath. This was an answer he had spent months searching for.

"It was just what everyone was doing. I know that it sounds dumb, but I got caught up in the momentum and the fame. Next question?"  
"How much medicine do you take?" Roger looked at Mimi.

"You wanna take this one?" he asked. Mimi looked up.

"Sure. We take our fair share of pills. Every six hours, we also take AZT. We wear beepers that go off to remind us."

"What about at night?"

"You better put your beeper by your head. Roger and my beepers are both set to go off at the same time as a backup of sorts." Mimi's voice was slightly shaky. "Any more question?" Roger and Mimi answered a few more questions before the bell rang.

Roger and Mimi walked down the street, fingers entwined. Mimi had been unusually quiet again. Roger stopped and pulled her close as he leaned against the brick wall of a building. She nestled into his arms and against his chest perfectly.

"What's wrong?" Roger asked.

"I need a hit _so _badly. I don't know where it came from, but I _need _it." Roger rubbed Mimi's back.

"It's probably from talking about the drugs so much. Just wait it out, I'm right here with you." Mimi burrowed her face in Roger's chest for several minutes before pulling away. Roger took her face in his hands and pressed their foreheads together. "Better now?" Mimi nodded.

"Yeah, I'm better." Mimi gave Roger a quick kiss. "Thanks for doing this with me."

"You're welcome. I'm actually glad I did this."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I am."

"So you'd do it again?" Mimi asked hopefully. Roger stopped to think.

"Yeah, I would. I'd speak to other students to keep them from fucking up like we did." Mimi took Roger's hand, and they began to walk to the subway. Steve was right; this had been the perfect job for them.

**The End**


End file.
